Staccato tap



Aug.` 16, 1949. v. SUNS'ERI 2,479,428

STACCATO TAP Filed May 18, 1948 [N V EN TOR.

Patented Aug. 16, 1949 'S'UNTED S'FA'PI'ISv ,PATENT f OF'FILCI"i*` I `2,479,428' 'l N M Y, I s'rAcoA'ro TAP Vincent Sunseri, Ternana, Calif,` Application may 1s, larsseralno. 21,791

3 claims. (or. ars- Lam 'This invention relates to taps: oi thetype used by dancers in tap dancing, and more particu- 4larly that type of tap whereirlta loose plate. or member mounted in a frame orbody element is actuated by rhythmic contact with the floor during the act of-dancing to produce sharp choking v:sounds audibly` emphasizing the foot motions of thedanee'n I f i,

It is desirable .that such 1a" tapbe free of exf posed screw or rivet heads, or otherobjectionable projecting parts, which. might damage the floor or nterferewithsmooth and rapid foot motions; :and that simple and effective provision be made `1or maintainingthemovabie elementv of the tap nrisensi'tive soundproducing` relation with the fixed element thereof `and in a manner which may `be easilyassembledy while the partsare efciently `locked togetherf'against: accidental displacement aftery assembly and especially while in actual' us by the dancer. I Y I It'a' therefore, an object of the said invention 'to meet all the desirable conditions of such a device in a simple andremelent manner; andthe Vadvantagesroi' my improved construction fromV both -the point of view of manufacture and use become apparent. asfthe vsaine is` further described, `byvvay fof example,` having reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a plan of underside of a tap embodying the said invention; Figure 2wis a cross section of the sametaken on a plane indicated by the line 2f 2 in Figure l, the tap being sho-wn as attached to thev toe end of the sole of 'a shoe;

Figure 3 is a rear end elevation of the tap;

1 Figure ltis a cross section of the samertaken on a plane indicated by the line 4-4 in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a plan of underside of the fixed body element of the tap;

Figure 6 is a plan of the movable sound-producing element or tongue of the tap;

Figure 7 is a plan of the retainer spring; and

Figure 8 is an elevation of the said spring.

Similar characters of reference indicate similar parts in the several iigures of the drawing.

The general shape of the tap is, of course,V

more or less governed by the general shape of the shoe to which it is intended to be applied and also according to whether it is to be applied to the toe or the heel of the shoe, as will be readily understood. Consequently, the xed body member I0 is generally of arcuate form and outline, being usually semi-elliptical as illustrated.

I prefer to make this fixed body element I0 of open-center yconstruction so that it is somewhat in the iorin of a horse shoe, as` clearly shown in Figure 5, the screw holes :It being arranged about the inner portion I2 oi the said fra-ine and. remote from the outer `portion or rim E3 thereof.' i

The movable sounding plate I4 is similar in outline to the body portion I0 but is of smaller overall dimensions so that it mayoverlap the inner portion I2 of the body elementl l0 while exposing the'ou-terfmarginal `portion or rim t3 of the Ysaid body member. This outerrim I3 pro- `Yeats materially 'be-low the perforatedportion t2 oi the body elementand haswits inner surface groovedor'rabbeted throughout,- as at H, to' receive thenrarginal lip f6 provided on the soundinglplate I4. l 1

l .As-fthe said groove l5 opens rearwardly of.' the said rim I3', it 'wiil be apparent that thev 'mar/- ginal' lip- IIB of the plate I4 maybe easily *siid forwardly into the'said groove. until it is engaged throughout its length by the flange IT of the said 'body element I8, as clearly shown in Figures `1 to'4 of the drawing. i n I A The heigl'it oi the said groove I5 is greater, than the thickness of the entering lip IGIA so that vertical motion of the 'sounding plate I 4 with respect to the. bodyelement i0 is permittedj but in its assembled position the said sounding plate AHI* is i -urged downwardly bya ie'af spring I8 so that. the

lip` 'i im-pinges the flange i1' of the body element.

The `central portion of this leaf spring lntfis bowed downwardly, as shown, to bear upon the upper surface of the movableplate Mi and this leaf spring extends transversely of the device F with its end portions engagedin recesses' lil provided on the underside of the said iixed body element, the upper surface ofA the movable plateV i4 being also transversely recessed as at 20 to receive IL?. and consequently out of engagement with theV recesses I9 of the body element, whereupon the plate Iii may be slid rearwardly out of the groove 5 while the ends of the spring are so depressed. It will be noted, however, that this ispractically impossibie of accomplishment when the device is once aixed to a shoe and, as the locked plate I4 then conceals the screw heads, the assembly 3 is quite fool-proof against displacement of the parts.

In assembling the device on a shoe, the body element I is simply attached thereto by suitable screws entered through the holes II and while the rim side of the body element is presented upwardly, as in Figure 1, the ends of the leaf spring are positioned in the recesses I9 of the element I0 with the bowed center of the spring presented upwardly. The toe end of the plate or tongue I4 is then pressed downwardly on the central portion of the spring to more or less flatten it and thereby permit the marginal lip I6 of the said plate I4 to be moved forwardly and fully into the groove I and beneath the flange II of the said body member IIJ; whereuponV the central portion of the leaf spring I8 will snap into the transverse groove 2|] of the plate VI4 and thus lock the said plate in position and against I'e- Y moval from the said groove I5.

A.In action', the striking ofY the plate I4 against the oor. in the act of dancing causes the plate to move upwardlywithin the groove I5 so that its .lip I6 is separated from the said flange I'I of the body element and driven against the inner portion I2 of the frame I0. This movement, and its recovery during dancing motions, produces the highly desirable tapping or clicking noises in a highly satisfactory manner. I prefer to crown or dish the movable plate downwardly, as clearly seen in Figures 3 and 4, both to centralize the actual contact area of the plate with the floor andv also to provide, between the said plate and the shoe,:a sound chamber which opens rear- -wardly of the device'as will be observed from an examination of Figure 2.

s VThe simplicity of the -parts and method of asvided to assure highly eiective sound-producing -qualities in the device. r- Thisinvention may be developed within the scope of the following claims without departing `fromfthe essential features of the said invention, and it is desired that the specification and 'drawing be read as being merely illustrative of a VLpractical embodiment of the same and not in a strictly limiting sense.

f What I claim is:

l. In a tap of the type described, a substantially U-shaped arcuate body element ior attachment to Va dancing shoe, the inner marginal portion of the said element being perforated to 4 receive screws or rivets and the outer marginal portion raised to form an arcuate rim, the inner edge of said rim being rabbeted, an impact plate having an edged portion in thinned counterpart of the rabbet of said rim for loose vertical movement therein, said rabbet being arranged to receive said plate by endwise slanting movement of the plate thereinto, and a spring latch concealed behind said plate adapted to engage and lock said plateA against removal whenV said plate is fully entered in the rim of said body element, Vsaid latch being further adapted to yieldably press said plate outwardly against said rim.

2. In a tap of the type described, a substantially U-shaped arcuate body element for attachment to a dancing shoe, the inner marginal portionof the said element being perforated to receive screws or rivets and the outer marginal portion raised to form an arcuate rim, the inner edge of said rim being rabbeted, an impact plate having an edged portionY in thinned counterpart of the rabbet of said rim for loose vertical movement therein, said rabbet being arranged to receive said plate by endwise slanting movement of the'plate thereinto, and a transversely arranged lea-f spring latch concealed behind said plate and adapted to engage and lock said plate against removal when said plate i-s fully entered in the rim of said body element. Y

3. In a tap ofthe type described, a substantially U-shaped arcuate body Velement for attachment to a dancing shoe, the inner marginal portion of the said relement being perforated to receive screws or rivets and theY outer marginal portion raised to form an arcuate rim,V the inner edge of said rim being rabbeted, an impact plate having an edged portion in thinned counterpart of the rabbet of -saidlrim `for loose vertical movement therein, said rabbet being arranged to receive said plate by endwise slanting movement of the plate thereinto, the back of said plate being transversely. slotted and the opposed face of the inner marginal portion of saidV element also being Atransversely slotted, and a transverse spring latch adaptedto engage in the, slots of said Iplate and said element when said plate is fully entered in the rim of said Abody element.

VINCENT SUNSERI.

`ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date DuMont et al. June 22, 1948 Number 

